In the kingdom of Thallerion, ruled by King Xerxez, four leaders were established. First was Matheros, the initial leader of the soldiers who became the commander of all leaders. He was excellent in war with his long sword, had a long beard, and a large body. He moved with a muscular build, truly shaped like a man. Because of his bravery, he encouraged the soldiers to be firm even in the midst of war. He also temporarily managed the kingdom’s affairs when Xerxez had problems.

Second was Phalleon, who was skilled in using a shield. With his sharp eyes and strength, he could hit enemies with his thrown shield even if they were far away or running, as he could estimate where it would land. His duty, besides fighting, was to investigate and scrutinize people, especially newcomers and enemies in disguise. The king truly relied on him for this.

Third was Catana. She had dreamed of becoming a leader of the soldiers since she was young. She was an expert archer. Although a woman, she showed the king that she was a formidable warrior. Her skill with the bow was not ordinary; her arrows blazed with fire. She wasn’t widely known in combat yet, but she was determined to be admired by other women who were afraid to join the fight.

Last, and the fourth, was Vethor. He was known for his expertise with blades like daggers, knives, and sharp machetes. His hearing and sight were sharp, so anyone who tried to attack him would surely be preempted by his dagger. He could quickly throw it and hit his target straight on. He was also good at hand-to-hand combat and punching.

Meanwhile, Xerxez stood on the palace’s upper corridor, watching the soldiers below. As he was there, he thought about his children. Xerxez’s face turned sad as he remembered that his children had not yet woken up, and it had been four days.

“Perhaps if my children were here, they would surely be happy beside me. There would be mischievous noises he would hear at this very moment,” Xerxez said to himself, reminiscing about his children, especially Maximus, who always bothered him. He couldn’t think of how to wake them or what the cure was. He also couldn’t determine if it was a disease or something else. He had a hunch that it was the work of a monster, but no one believed him.

A moment later, he didn’t realize Matheros was there. He hadn’t noticed his arrival for a conversation. Matheros approached him because he had a problem that needed the king’s decision.

“My king,” Matheros greeted. Xerxez was slightly startled by the voice, but he didn’t show it. Instead, he pretended to be deep in thought and answered as if he had felt Matheros’s arrival all along. “What brings you here?” Xerxez asked. “Do we have something to fix about our soldiers?” he continued. “But I don’t think we have anything to worry about. From what I see in my soldiers’ actions, they are energetic and admirable to look at. Our soldiers are truly brave,” Xerxez added.

“My king,” Matheros greeted again, as if telling Xerxez to stop talking.

“What is it, Matheros?” Xerxez asked with curiosity. “It seems you are hesitating to come here. Is there something we need to fix?” he inquired.

“You are right! There is something we need to fix,” Matheros said, seemingly getting annoyed. “Let me explain what it is,” he said gently. “Some of the young soldiers are complaining to us! They often say that training is lazy and exhausting. Some of them even retreat early! The new recruits are cowards! They are the new personnel we’ve gathered and recruited to be our warrior-soldiers,” he pointed down.

“How many are they?” Xerxez asked, watching them.

“That number is not more than or exceeds one hundred. However, our total number of soldiers here in Thallerion is six thousand. And in the Peronicas group, it’s said to be two thousand. In Thartherus, it’s five thousand, and the same in Latheruz is also five thousand. And in Vhorlandrus, it’s four thousand. But they say it will increase. So I hope ours will increase and not decrease. Lest our fellow kings think we are weak in managing our stubborn soldiers,” Matheros said.

“I’m sorry if that’s the case, then we should act on it immediately,” Xerxez said, with a hint of dismay on his face.

“But I have news for you,” Matheros said, and Xerxez immediately turned his head, thinking it might be about the monster. “What’s the news?” he quickly asked.

“The retired soldiers and the surviving warriors from before, who are now old but still have strength, have told us they are ready to return to war,” Matheros said with joy on his face. “Now, think about this carefully. Which of them will you choose? Those one hundred soldiers who are cowards, or the old warriors who are braver than a lion’s roar?” Matheros asked, with a challenging tone.

“Who is the king? Why won’t they obey the king’s command? Are they kings? Who are they to complain? They are merely soldiers who should follow the king’s orders,” Xerxez replied passionately. “But I understand their pain of being separated from their loved ones if they perish in war. But without patience, the safety they imagine will not last. The truth will dawn that many enemies are waiting to see the palace run out of weapons so they can enter and attack without warning,” Xerxez added. “Now, let me tie them by their necks because they are too elusive, like wild animals let loose who barely recognize the king. Show them my strictness! So they can see how I sharpen their dull teeth like theirs!” Xerxez said angrily to Matheros.

Xerxez was angered by people who refused to obey him and those who were stubborn, especially the cowards. He didn’t want to hear other races say that the Thallerions were cowards. The land of Thallerion was famous and known for its brave and valiant warriors. Moreover, it had defeated many enemies. Therefore, being called a coward was ugly to hear. It made one lose spirit and dignity. Hence, the word “coward” was a laughingstock for anyone who heard it.

Matheros’s shoulders felt heavy with worry, thinking that in the middle of a war, they might run home and retreat out of fear. It would be truly shameful if that happened.

“Matheros, can we talk alone?” Xerxez asked, getting his attention. “I know you don’t believe what I said about the monster I saw.” Matheros shook his head and seemed about to laugh, thinking that Xerxez had completely lost his mind to the supernatural.

“What are you saying, Xerxez?” he said, as if about to laugh. “Do you still believe in that even now?” His face became serious.

“What I saw is true!” Xerxez insisted. “Believe it or not, all those strange things really happened,” Xerxez said, truly making an effort to say it just to make Matheros believe. And that seriousness was truly visible on the king’s face. Matheros could only think of a single word.

“Okay,” Matheros said, with hesitation. “Fine. But you have no basis that you really saw it?” He became unbalanced in his thoughts. Should he really believe it, or should he mock the king for what he was saying? he said to himself. He couldn’t believe that this was what was happening to the king’s mind. The king was not this serious about the supernatural before; he just laughed at it.

“The broken wall! Aren’t you wondering about that? About my children, who are still drowning in their long and perilous sleep? Aren’t you wondering about that yet?” Xerxez tried to explain. Matheros thought about it at that moment. He saw that the king was affected, worried, and looking for help, and he knew that Xerxez wanted him to be the one to help. He thought he should believe the king. There was no enemy that had entered, so it was impossible for the wall to be destroyed for no reason. Because if there was an enemy, they would surely see it. If he doubted what Xerxez was saying, Xerxez might get hurt because he didn’t believe him. And he had nothing to lose if he believed the king.

“What do you want to happen?” he said, giving the king courage.

“Come,” Xerxez said, walking quickly. “I have something to show you,” he added. Matheros wondered what Xerxez wanted to show him. He thought of many things that could be what he wanted to show him. But after a while, he was surprised why they went to a place unfamiliar to him; they were heading to a room. It was Xerxez’s personal room, so no one else entered it unless you were the king’s guard. This was the only room Xerxez could say was peaceful because when he wanted to be alone or was bored, he went here. Before they could enter, he asked Xerxez first.

“What do you want to show me?” Matheros asked for assurance. He was also wondering what was inside that room. “Is it there?” he asked.

“Come in,” Xerxez urged.

When Matheros entered, his eyes were flooded with pictures. There were large and small square paintings. His eyes glittered as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He roamed every corner of the room to get the full picture and see everything. He saw Xerxez’s wives painted in oil. He also saw the former king, Xerxez’s father, and next to the former king was his own father. He saw many more things there. But his attention was only caught when he saw a painting in front of them, as it was the only one that was different. He stared at it carefully, but it only stopped when Xerxez approached the painting he was staring at.

“Matheros, I hope you will believe me through this painting I made,” Xerxez said, as if pleading. “I didn’t just make this up. I made this to the best of my ability, from what I saw in that supernatural event,” he explained emphatically.

“So, the monster you were talking about is real?” A shiver hit Matheros. “W-what’s your plan for this? Won’t they think we’re crazy for believing in something they don’t believe in? In a supernatural thing?” Matheros answered, losing courage.

“My children are what I’m worried about, they are in danger! Can I bear that?” The king sobbed in sorrow. Matheros fell silent, because there was nothing he could do but listen to what the king was saying.

“What can we do? What do you think, is this a curse from that monster? Or a dangerous disease that has afflicted my children?” he asked, as if drowning in the middle of the ocean and losing hope.

“It would be better if we summoned wise sorcerers! Let’s have our soldiers search, and we will tell them that a great reward will be given to anyone who can tell us the cure for the princes’ illness,” Matheros said with a clever idea.

“Right!” Xerxez’s spirits were lifted when he heard that. His eyes almost welled up with joy. “Okay, Matheros, that’s what we will do. I will stake my wealth for the sake of my children’s well-being,” he replied happily.

“If so, I’ll be leaving, I’ll get some soldiers and order them to travel right now so they can start looking for skilled sorcerers and wise men who can untangle your problem, my king, Xerxez,” Matheros answered enthusiastically.

“Then go, have them start their search early so they can find it early, so my children can be cured early,” he ordered Matheros.

Xerxez was filled with joy when he was left alone in the room because, even in those moments, he had hope that his spirits would be lifted because his cousin, who was also his loyal friend, helped him. His heart and mind were grateful for Matheros, who had been his partner in all his problems, even before. After that, he just went to his room to check on his children who were still sleeping until now.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep